How do birds stay perched on electrical wires and not get shocked?

Question

I've wondered about this for a long time-how do birds do it?

Answer 1

Take note of what lines they tend to perch on. Several of the other answers are correct, but there is one point missing in this discussion. Generally, you do not see birds on the higher power transmission lines. The higher voltage lines do have a coronal potential, and would be more than enough to roast any bird stupid enough to try to land on it.

Answer 2

Electricity needs a path to run.  No electricity comes from one terminal on a battery until you connect to BOTH terminals on a battery.  Same for AC power(basically).  ***DO NOT DO THIS*** , but you too could stick your finger in a wall socket in one slot, if you was floating off the ground; (if not floating then the power could run through your finger down to your feet on the floor/ground and you would get shocked, but if the power has no where to go ,then you cant get shocked.  electricity needs a starting point and a ending point(somewhere to flow too).

Answer 3

They don't get cooked because they only perch on one wire.  For them to get shocked, a potential difference (voltage) would have to exist between each of their feet, which would cause a current to pass through them, frying them instantly.  Because they only perch on one wire, they have both feet at the same potential difference, which does no harm.  If they had one foot on one wire and one on another, they they would get zapped because now they have each foot at a different potential difference, causing a current to flow through their body.

Answer 4

as long as both feet are on the wire (and not one foot on the wire and on on the wooden pole) there is no voltage difference between the two feet of the bird and so no current will flow through the bird

current flows when there is a voltage difference, the larger the difference the greater the current; if there is no voltage difference there is no "pressure" to cause a current to flow

Answer 5

Because the wire is a good conductor, the potential difference between the points where the bird's two feet contact the wire is very small. So negligible current flows through the bird.

Answer 6

there is no static electricity in there bodies